Semi-truck accidents are traumatizing. Whether you were a driver or passenger who was injured in a commercial truck accident, you deserve to know your rights. If you have been injured in a Jonesboro truck accident, then you should contact the personal injury lawyers at T. Madden & Associates P.C. today to schedule your free consultation.
What To Do After Tractor Trailer Accidents
There are some important steps you should take after your Jonesboro truck accident. First, you should dial 911. Next, exchange contact information with the truck driver and get information about the driver’s employer. That includes your names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and contact information for the trucking company.
Law enforcement will take a statement from you and the driver. Do not apologize, admit guilt or lie to the officer. Make sure to request a copy of the police report before you leave. Truck accident attorneys use police reports as valuable pieces of evidence to get truck accident victims fair and just compensation.
Take pictures at the accident scene; they can help you get the compensation you deserve. Images provide details about the accident, road conditions, and damage to insurance adjusters and personal injury attorneys. In fact, we also recommend bringing these photos to your free consultation at our law firm.
Next, you should be assessed by a medical professional to diagnose your personal injury. Then you should contact a personal injury attorney specializing in truck accident claims. They can contact the insurance company to report the truck accident.
What is the maximum compensation a Jonesboro truck accident lawyer can help me receive?
It’s impossible to know how much you can receive for your truck accident claim. You will need to work with a personal injury law firm with experience in settlement negotiations with insurance companies to learn more about how much you are entitled to in damages.
Economic damages compensate you for your medical bills, lost wages, damaged vehicle, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Noneconomic damages compensate accident victims for non-pecuniary, subjective losses. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, amputation, permanent sensory or motor disorders, facial disfigurement, and mental anguish are all examples of noneconomic damages.
You may also be eligible to receive punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for outrageous misconduct and recklessness. They are also intended to deter them from committing the same act in the future. You could be awarded punitive damages in your claim if the defendant’s behavior is especially reckless or harmful, like when an accident causes a fatality.
What are the common causes of truck accidents?
Lack of maintenance, truck driver fatigue, mechanical defects such as faulty truck tires or brakes, and other factors contribute to tragic accidents. Although none of the following reasons are unique to truck accidents, they are more frequently-cited causes when an accident involves a truck.
Distracted Driving
There are three types of distractions: cognitive, visual, and manual. Truckers daydream, look at their phones, or take their hands off the wheel to grab something. In 2019, 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. Approximately 3,000 people die in crashes involving a distracted driver every year.
Fatigued Driving
Truck drivers travel long hours. The federal government regulates the trucking industry and created guidelines that limit how many consecutive hours they can work. New guidelines mandate that truckers drive for only 11 hours in a day, and the other three hours in their 14-hour day should be spent on breaks, meals, showers, or personal time. They engage with other cars on the road all day, and they get tired. Our law firm will investigate if a fatigued driver is at fault for your accident and present the facts to the insurance company so that you get the compensation you deserve.
Failure To Adjust Driving To Match Weather Conditions
Inclement weather can decrease traction and visibility, and truckers need to adjust to accommodate for wet roads. All truck drivers should know how to adjust their driving techniques for current road conditions, and do so the moment there is any precipitation. Call us today about your bad weather truck accident case.
Speeding And Reckless Driving
Speeding or driving too fast for road conditions is the cause of many truck accident cases. Large trucks need more distance and time to slow down due to their size and mass. Excessive speed is a major contributing factor in rear-end collisions with trucks.
Negligent Hiring By The Trucking Company
Companies can be held liable for hiring truck drivers who do not possess commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), not conducting background checks on new drivers, failing to routinely conduct alcohol or drug testing, or hiring drivers with a record of FMCSA violations.
Negotiating The Compensation You Deserve
Damages from truck accidents tend to be more catastrophic than other auto accidents because of the size difference between the truck and passenger vehicles. Because of this weight difference, the US Department of Transportation’s Financial Responsibility Requirements for Commercial Motor Vehicles mandates that trucking companies get minimum liability insurance coverage ranging from $750,000 to $5,000,000.
Your Jonesboro truck accident attorney will negotiate with the other party’s insurance company. They will have a team of corporate attorneys who will fight your case. Even though they take out large insurance policies, the insurance companies are more interested in saving themselves money than paying victims what they deserve. They will use intimidating tactics or ask you questions that are worded in such a way that you inevitably give an answer that can be twisted to “prove” your liability. An example is when they ask what time the accident was, you answer, and then they argue that you knew the time because you were looking at your radio or cell phone’s clock.
Because we work with accident victims like you every day, and we have a successful track record of getting the settlement that our clients deserve, we encourage you to call now so you can learn more about how we will negotiate and fight for you.
Catastrophic Injuries Caused By Truck Accidents
A serious truck accident can lead to permanent impairment. This may involve amputation, sensory or motor disorders, communication disturbances, and loss of the use of an organ. An accident involving a tractor-trailer can lead to severe injuries because of the weight difference between the commercial vehicle and a passenger vehicle. Our Jonesboro truck accident lawyers can fight for you to receive compensation for your damages and injuries sustained.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A severe brain or closed-head injury can lead to neurological disorders and disturbances of cerebral function. TBI can cause seizures, sleep disturbances, neurodegenerative diseases, concussion, headaches/migraines, and emotional challenges.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Truck accidents can cause heavy blunt force trauma that severs the nerves that run along the center of the back. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that connect to the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord renders the accident victim temporarily or permanently paralyzed.
Neck And Shoulder Injuries
Another extremely common injury that is not life-threatening is whiplash, a neck injury caused by the rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck during impact. The muscles become pulled well beyond their normal range of motion, straining and stretching them. Most people don’t notice their neck injury at first, but several hours or even a day later, they find themselves in intense pain and unable to move their neck.
Wrongful Death
If a truck accident is so severe that someone dies from the crash, then the surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim. Surviving family members may recover the value of lost financial support that the decedent would have provided had they survived their injuries and losses from funeral and burial expenses and medical costs the decedent incurred before their untimely death. The deceased’s spouse, children, siblings, or parents of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit. During your free consultation, we can discuss any potential non-economic damages that you may be owed compensation for, such as emotional distress, loss of companionship, and depression.
Who is responsible for commercial truck accidents in Georgia?
A trucking accident is generally more complicated than a car accident because the truck accident may involve multiple liable parties. That is because many truck drivers are employees who do not own the commercial vehicle that they drive. Rarely does the plaintiff only deal with the negligent truck driver. Trucking companies are often held liable for causing accidents. But if the truck company is headquartered out of state, then you will need an experienced Jonesboro truck accident lawyer.
T. Madden & Associates P. C. is committed to getting you the compensation you deserve in your truck accident case. We will fight hard to prove negligence on the part of the opposing party, whether it is the trucking company or the truck driver. The following entities could be responsible for the truck accident:
- The trucking company: Trucking companies can be held liable if they fail to make sure that their drivers meet federal regulations or if they hire an inexperienced driver
- The negligent truck driver: Commercial truck drivers are legally obligated to obey all traffic laws and drive soberly. A violation of these laws can make them liable in a truck accident lawsuit if they were not on the job when they caused the truck accident.
- The truck manufacturer: If a faulty part on the truck is the reason for the accident, such as faulty brakes, then the manufacturer of the part will be held liable for the injuries
Contact Our Jonesboro Law Firm Now
Don’t let insurance companies intimidate or bully you into taking a lower settlement than you deserve. If you have been severely injured in a truck crash and are seeking a fair settlement through a personal injury claim, then contact the Jonesboro truck accident attorneys at T. Madden & Associates P.C. to schedule your free case evaluation.
Our Georgia law firm has helped other injured victims like you get a fair settlement in their truck accident cases, and we are ready to provide you with the tenacious advocacy that you deserve. The level of commitment our law firm shows our clients is why they give us high ratings and recommend us to others who they know need a truck accident attorney. Call us today at 833-PAID-123.